Knock-down boxing figure toys

ABSTRACT

A boxer figure toy usable to play a competitive boxing game wherein each player manipulates his figure to knock out the opposing figure. Each figure is releasibly mounted so that if a pre-determined target area or member on the figure is struck, the figure will fall over. Each figure may also be provided with punching fist members, which the player manipulates to attempt to strike the target area of the opposing figure.

United States Patent 1191 Goldfarb et a1. Nov. 5, 1974 [54] KNOCK-DOWN BOXING FIGURE TOYS 2,393,289 1/1946 Curlsen 46 142 2,716,840 9/1955 Armstrong 46/142 [76] lnvemors- Adolph f' 4614 f 2,760,306 8/1956 Pelletier 46 142 Taflana, Callf- 91356; 3,394,691 7/1968 Brink 124/34 x Benkoe, 17965 Medley Dr., Encrno, Cahf- 91316 Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle [22] Filed; 21, 1973 Assistant ExaminerHarry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert M. Ashen [21] Appl. No.: 334,435

[57] ABSTRACT I [52] US. Cl. 273/85 F, 46/142, 273/85 H A x r fig re oy sable to play a competitive boxing [51] Int. Cl. A63f 9/14, A63h 13/06 g m h rein ea h play r manipulates his figure to [58] Field of Search 273/85 H, 94 H, 119 B, knock out the opposing figure. Each figure is releasi- 273/85 F, 94 F; 272/76; 46/142, 143, 148 b1y mounted so that if a pre-determined target area or member on the figure is struck, the figure will fall [56] References Cited over. Each figure may also be provided with punching UNITED STATES PATENTS fist members, which the player manipulates to attempt 979,486 12/1910 Hayes 46/142 to Smke the target area of the Opposmg figure 1,447,976 3/1923 Gilchrist 273/86 R 13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Pmmwm Sam m 3 3.845356 FIG.5

sass: a or 3 1 KNOCK-DOWN BOXING FIGURE TOYS Children, especially boys, have always enjoyed competitive type toys where the players manipulate the toys to beat the other player. One group of such toys are boxing or fighting figure toys where one player tries to knock down or knock out his opponents figure. On the simplest level, boys have simply held boxer figures in their hands and pretended that the figures were boxing with each other. Such activity is very good for a childs imagination, however, he rather quickly becomes tired of such activity because it lacks variation and because there was no objective indication who is winning or who scores a knock-out. Thus, the game would generally end up in a dispute as to who was really the winner. There have also been mechanical devices having figures simulating boxers or fighters and where the figures are remotely controlled. Such devices tend to have very mechanical and robot-like appearance and movement, and they are therefore not particularly life-like. Further, the control means for such devices tend to be complicated and costly to produce, and subject to frequency malfunction or damage. Such devices suffer from various other shortcomings. In another aspect, the boxing figures in the prior art devices were generally mounted on a base or platform and their movement capability tended to be very limited. This, in turn, limited the childs feeling of participation and placed a limit on how much skill the child was able to develop in manipulating the figure.

The present invention contemplates a unique knockdown figure as well as a competitive game which may utilize a pair of such figures to provide competitive boxing between two players-Each figure is supported on a freely positionable base. The figure is supported in such a manner that when a designated target area or element of the figure is struck and moved, the figure, or a portion of it, will be knocked over. Such a knock down or knock out may be achieved by any striking means such as a bean bag or a dart. However, the figures are particularly adapted to be used in pairs in competition against one another, with each of the figures being provided with an extendable striking means such as fist member, as well as with a target member.

In a preferred form, each of the figures has a control means which-comprises a'pair of dual-function upright handle-and-actuator members that each control the extension of one of a pair of extendable fist members on the figure. The target member may represent a part of the figure such as its nose. Further, means may be provided for defining limits on the positioning of the figures relative to one another (that is, how close and how far they can be to one another), without unduly restricting the amount and nature of movement of the figures. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pair of boxing figure toys which comprise a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side view of one of the boxing figure toys in its upright position (broken away to show details of construction), a portion of the figure toy also being shown in broken line in its knockeddown position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the upper portion of one of the boxing figure toys, with parts broken away to show details of construction of an extendable punching-fist member, the fist member also being shown in broken line in an extended position.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the lower portion of one of the boxing figure toys, with parts broken away to show details of construction of the actuating means.

FIG. 5 shows an alternate form of base for such a figure toy.

FIGS. 1 through 4 show a presently preferred form of boxing figure toy 10. FIG. 1 shows a pair of these figure toys 10 positioned generally facing one another. The figures 10 are each movable and operable by a player to strike a target area or member of the other, to effect a knockout. The figure toys 10 are identical and only one will be described in detail.

Broadly, the figure toy 10 comprises a base 12 adapted to rest on and be movable over a table I4 or other supporting surface, and a fanciful boxer figure l6 pivotally mounted on the base. The figure 16 is movable between an upright boxing position (shown in solid in FIG. 2) and a reclining, knocked-out or KOd position (shown in broken line in FIG. 2). Releasable support means 18 is provided between the figure l6 and the base 12 to normally maintain the figure in its upright position. The support means 18 includes a target member 20 which may form a feature of the figure such as his nose. The target nose member 20 is movable on impact to cause the figure to move to its KOd position. Each of the figure toys 10 is also provided with a pair of striking or punching means such as a simulated fist member 22. The fist members 22 can be individually operated to move rapidly forward to punch, in an effort to strike thetarget nose member 20 of the other figure and thereby knock down that other figure. Separately and individually operable actuating means 24 are provided for operating each of the fist members 22 to cause it to punch. The illustrated actuating means 24 comprise a pair of dual-function handle members or elements 26 which are grasped by the player and used to move his figure about the table. Each of the handle elements 26 is also squeezable to cause an associated fist member 22 to punch. Thus, each player moves or jockeys his figure about relative to the other figure, and operates each of his fist members 22 independently in an effort toK.O. the other figure.

Now to consider the illustrated figure toy 10 in further detail. The boxer figure 16 is a hollow structure or shell which may be made up of front and rear halves jointed at line 15. The halves may be of molded plastic,

contoured to represent a fanciful boxing figure having a torso section 17, a head section 19, depending leg sections 21, and a pair of forwardly extended arm sections '23.

Thebase 12 is a hollow structure made of plastic or other suitable material. It may be fabricated from a formed upper section 28 and a lower or bottom wall section 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the base .12 is generally T-shaped, having a transverse rear section and a forwardly extending center section. The center section includes a pair of upwardly extending leg-support portions 32 that are spaced apart from one another side-toside of the toy. Each leg support portion 32 has a slot 34 in its top wall (FIG. 4). Downwardly extending portions 35 or L-shaped pivot support plate or members 36 are secured in the slots 34. Each support member 36 also includes a forwardly extending, generally horizontal portion 38 upon which one leg section 21 of the figure is pivotally mounted. More particularly, the support members 36 may be made of a somewhat flexible material, and the forward end of each portion 38 may be provided with a forwardly open notch 40. This notch 40 defines a bearing for rotatably receiving a shaft 42 secured inside the leg section 21 of the figure and extending horizontally and transversely from side-to-side of the leg section. Each support portion 38 extends into one of the figure leg sections 21 through a vertical slot 45 which extends down the center rear of the leg section. In this way, the figure l6 is pivotally mounted on the two support members 36. The figure pivots about the transverse side-to-side figure pivot axis defined by the shafts 42. As noted above, this movement is between the upright position and the KOd or inclined position where the upper end of the figure is tilted rearwardly.

The support means 18 for releasibly maintaining the figure 16 in its upright position comprises generally an elongated upright lever or bar 44 pivotally supported on the figure, and connected to the target member 20. The illustrated lever 44 extends vertically down the inside of the head and torso sections of the figure 16. The lever 44 is located centrally from side-to-side of the figure. The lower portion 47 of the lever 44 is angled rearwardly and extends to the outside of the figure 16. The illustrated portion 47 extends rearwardly at about 30 from the vertical. The lower end 48 of the lever releasibly engages a part of the support means 18 on the base. The lever 44 is pivotally mounted within the figure 16 at about the lever of the figure s waist. The lever 44 has a pair of horizontal shaft portions 58 which extend outwardly in opposite directions from about the vertical or longitudinal mid-point of the lever. The shaft portions 58 define agenerally horizontal transverse pivot axis for the lever 44. The lever pivot axis is thus located a substantial distance above the figure pivot axis defined by the shaft portions 42. The shaft portions 58 of the lever are rotatably received in notches provided in a spaced apart pair of ears 60 secured to the inside of the rear of torso section of the figure. The cars 60 extend forwardly and are positioned centrally side-to-side of the figure 16. The lever 44 extends between the cars 60. Suitable biasing means may be provided to urge the lever 44 to the upright, ready position shown in FIG. 2. In the illustrated device, such biasing means comprises a coil spring 73 secured between the lever 44 at a point above its pivot point, and the inside of the rear of the figure. The illustrated spring 73 has one end supported on a rearwardly extending peg 75 on the lever 44 and the other end supported on a forwardly extending peg 77 on the figure wall.

. The illustrated target element 20 is in the form of a nose mounted on the upper end of the lever 44 and disposed forwardly of the face of the figure. The target nose 20 is fixed on the forward end of a short rod 50. The rod 50 extends through an opening 52 in the front wall of the figure which defines its face. The rod 50 is secured at its rear end to the upper end 46 of the lever 44. The lower portion 47 of the lever extends through a vertical slot 54 at the center rear of the torso section of the figure 16. The lever lower end 48 is releasibly engaged with a lever catch 56 mounted on the rear center of the base 12.

More particularly, the catch 56 comprises an upstanding member which may be fixedly supported on the base 12, as shown in FIG. 2, by having its lower end 57 received in a receptacle 59. The catch 56 is located at the center of the base, between but rearwardly of the leg-support portions 32. The catch 56 may be made of a resilient material and may have a gripping portion 62 at its upper end. The illustrated gripping portion 62 comprises a pair of forwardly extending, resilient, flexible fingers 64 defining a vertical slot 66 between them. The fingers 64 frictionally and resiliently hold the lower end 48 of the lever between them. The lever lower end 48 has a generally downwardly facing contact surface 68 at its lower rear. The slot 66 has a generally upwarrdly facing platform or contact surface 70 at its lower rear. The lower contact surface 70 blocks movement of the lever upper contact surface 68 incident to pivoting of the figure about the lower figure pivot axis. This prevents a knockout when a portion of the figure 16 (other than the target area or member) is struck.

The surface 70 does not, however, block movement of the surface 68 incident to pivoting of the lever itself about its own axis. This is how the knock out is provided when the target member is struck.

Alternatively, the fingers 64 may be spaced apart guides rather than resilient gripping fingers. The lever contact surface 68 will then rest upon the platform or contact surface 70 (the tendency of the figure 16 being for its upper end to pivot rearwardly), to support the figure in its upright position.

The construction and arrangement and weight distribution of the figure 16 relative to its pivotal support at its knees in such that if the figure is left unsupported, its upper end will tend to pivot rearwardly. As noted above, the lever lower end 48 is releasibly supported by the lever catch 56 to support the figure 16 against this rearward pivoting. Further, the arrangement of the parts, and in particular the angle in which the lever lower portion 47 extends, will normally prevent disengagement of the lever from the lever catch or rear pivoting movement of the body as the result of the upper portion of the figure itself being struck or impacted. In other words, lever end 48 hasto swing through such an are about the figure axis at the knees of the figure, that the surface 70 of the lever catch will engage the surface 68 of the lever end and stop such pivotal movement.

The lever 44 is capable, however, of disengagement from the lever catch 56 when the lever is pivoted about its own pivotal axis. Thus, when the target member 20 is struck from the front, which will move the lever upper end 46 rearwardly against the spring 73 and about the lever pivot, the lever lower end 48 will swing through an arch which is not blocked or stopped by the surface 70 of the lever catch. Thus, when the target member 20 is struck and moved, the lever 44 will be disengaged from the catch 56, which results in the rearward tilting of the figure to the knock-down position shown in broken line in FIG. 2.

The target member 20 may be struck by the child wearing a boxing glove on his hand, or it may be struck by a missile such as a bean bag or a dart with an impacting tip. It also could be struck by a pellet as from a bean shooter or a b-b gun. As noted above, when the target member 20 is hit, the figure 16 will topple over rearwardly, while if other portions of the figure are hit, the figure will remain upright.

The illustrated toy apparatus comprises a second figure toy 10 which boxes with the first figure toy, and has one or moreof the extendable striking means 22 for engaging the target member 20 of the other figure toy.

Each impacting or striking means 22 of the figure toy comprises generally a fist member mounted on the figure for front-to-back movement. The fist member 22 is operated by the control means 24 which comprises a closed, fluid or hydraulic system. The illustrated control means 24 utilizes air as its fluid. The control means 24 has one of the compressible handle-and-actuator members 26 which is connected to the rear of an air cylinder 71 (FIG. 3) in which an air piston 72 is slidably disposed. The impacting fist member 22 is mounted at the forward end of the air piston 72. Each of the illustrated figures 16 is provided with two punching or fist members 22, one at each of the arm sections 23 of the figure. By grasping the compressible actuator members 26 and selectively squeezing them, the player can control the punching by his figure 16. Each fist member 22 is directed forwardly and somewhat upwardly to engage the target nose of the opposing figure. The illustrated fist members 22 are self-retracting after each punch.

More particularly, each fist member 22, which simulates the appearance of a boxing glove, is mounted on a connector element 74. The connector element 74 in turn is secured to the forward end of the air piston 72. The illustrated air piston 72 comprises an elongated rod portion Y76 and a cup portion 78 at the rear end of i the rod portion. The rod portion 76 extends through a hole 80 in the forward end of the cylinder 71. Both the rod portion 76 and the hole 80 have mating flat portions which keep the air piston 72 and the fist member 22 in one desired rotational orientation. Thus, the fist member 22 is always right side up. This also keeps a V- shaped cut-out 79 in the cup portion 78 in alignment with an inlet 86 to the cylinder 71. The rearward cup portion 78 of the air piston is received in a close sliding fit within the air cylinder 71. The cylinder 71 comprises a main forward portion 82 and a rear cap portion 84. The cylinder 71 is disposed within an associated arm section 23, with the fist member 22 positioned in front of that arm section. The forward end of the cylinder 71 is secured at the forward end of the associated arm sec tion 23. The arm section 23 is at a slight upward angle from the horizontal, and the cylinder 71 is disposed at the same angle. By virtue of this angle, the fist member 22 starts at a position about chest high of its figure, but is able to reach the height of the target nose 20 of the opponent figure. FIG. 3 shows the fist member 22 in solid line in its most relaxed or withdrawn position. The rear surface of the connector element 74 provides a stop for this most rearward position of the fist member 22. FIG. 3 shows the fist member 22 in broken line in a position where it has begun to move forwardly. The normal fully extended stroke of the fist member 22 (as shown in broken line in FIG. 1) is defined by the length of the rod portion 76, with the piston 72 being stopped when the forward end of the cup portion 78 engages the forward wall of the cylinder.

Each cylinder 71 is connected to and in communication with one of the actuator members 26. In the illustrated device, a conduit means 87 is connected between the cylinder and the member 26. More particularly, the cylinder rear cap portion 84 has its inlet 86 connected to a vertical conduit section 88 that extends down through one side of the interior of the torso l7 and down through the inside of one of the leg sections 21. The conduit section 88 is then connected to a horizontal conduit section 89 which extends into the interior of the base 12 through a vertical slot 90 in the front wall 92 of the leg-support portion 32 at that side of the structure. The conduit section 89 is then connected to a conduit section 94 that leads outwardly within the transverse rear section of the base to one of the actuator members 26. The conduit section 94 is connected to an outlet 95 at the bottom of the actuator member 26. More particularly, each actuator member 26 comprises a bulb portion 98 and a cup-shaped lower retainer portion 96. The bulb portion 98 has a generally tubular shape. It is closed at its upper end and open at its lower end 100. The lower end 100 is received through an opening 99 in the upper wall 101 of the rear transverse base portion, at one end of said transverse portion. The lower end 108 may be in the form of an outwardly and then upwardly extending annular flange. This bulb portion flange 100 is clamped between an exterior flange 102 on the retainer portion 96 and the lower end of an upright tubular section 104 disposed around the edge of the opening 99.

The bulb portion 98 may be grasped in one hand by the user and compressed to shift air from the bulb portion 98 into the rear of the associated cylinder 71. This causes forward movement of the associated piston 72 and fist member 22. More particularly, air is forced out of the bulb portion 98, through the associated conduit means 87, and through the inlet 86 into the rear of the cylinder 71 behind the piston rear-cup portion 78. As noted above, the piston cup portion 78 has a cut-out 79 which permits flow of the air into the cylinder rearwardly of the piston 72. The bulb portion 98 may be constructed of a suitable flexible material such as rubber or flexible plastic. By squeezing the bulb portion 98 rapidly, rapid forward thrust of the fist member 22 is achieved. The fist member 22 will automatically retract when the bulb portion 98 is released, because an essentially closed system is created by the bulb portion, the cylinder 71 (rearward of the piston 72) and the connecting conduit means 87. In other words, when the bulb portion 98 is released and it expands back to its normal volume, the pressure inside the system is less than outside of it, and the piston 72 will move rearwardly to equalize this pressure. As noted above the fist member 22 moves not only forwardly, but upwardly to a height where it can engage the target nose 20 of the other figure.

To keep the figure toys 10 from being moved too far apart during a boxing competition between them, restraining means such as one or more cables or cords 103 (see FIG. 1) may be secured between the bases 12 of the toys. This does not significantly limit the nature or variety of movement which a player may impart to his boxing figure, but it does keep the opponents within reasonable range of one another, and provides some outer limit to the play of the game.

As shown in FIG. 1, the figure toy 10 has a pair of the compressible handle-and-actuator members 26, one at each side. Thus, each player can operate the two fist members 22 of his boxer figure, one with each of his hands, in an effort to outmaneuver his opponent and impact the KO nose member 20 of the opposing figure. This, of course, results in a knockdown of the opponents figure.

It will be noted that when the target member 20 of a figure 16 is struck and that figure knocked over, the figure pivots to the broken line position of FIG. 2. The conduit means 87 between the actuator member 26 and the associated cylinder 71 must be sufficiently movable and/or flexible, and the slots 45 and 90 (in the legs and the base leg support portions respectively) must be large enough to permit such movement of the figure 16. In other words, there must be enough shifting of position and/or flexing of the conduit means 87 to accommodate the movement. The conduit means 87 may be in the form of a continuous flexible tube, or it may be made up of multiple interconnected tubing sections, some of which may be rigid.

FIG. shows an alternative form of base 12a which has a front to back convex lower surface 110. This permits the players to readily tilt their players front-toback during the competitive play. The base may also or alternatively be contoured in other directions to permit ready tilting in such other directions. For example, the undersurface of the base may be generally spherical.

The base 12a is also provided with a forwardly extending portion 112 adapted to abut a forwardly extending portion on the base of the opponent figure toy. The portion 112 thus protects the figure 16 from direct impact by the opponent figure other than by the extendable fist member 22.

Various other modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated structure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the boxers may have a single impacting means rather than two. If desired, the bases on which the figures are mounted could be movably supported on other structure such as a common game board. Also, as noted above, a single figure toy could be employed, with the impacting being done other than by another figure toy, in which case the figure could be without impacting means. As a further example, the appearance or configuration of the figure could obviously be changed such as to a boxing bear or another fanciful character. Still further, the figure may be arranged so that only a portion of it is knocked over. For example, the upper part of the figure may be pivoted at the waist for rearward knock-out movement.

it will also be appreciated that the sensitivity of the device may be varied. For example, the resilient grip of the lever catch selected for the device may either permit an easy knock-out or require one or more hard blows to disengage the lever for a knock-out. Similarly, the platform contact surface 70 may be made larger so that the end of the lever must be moved a substantial distance along that surface before the lever is freed from the catch.

If desired, the sensitivity may be made selectively variable by the players, to accommodate younger and older players. Thus, for example, the platform 70 could be constructed to be extendable generally forwardly to various selected positions. Then the father could have a very short platform in his figure, and the platform in the child's figure could be extended. Thus, the fathers boxing figure would be very sensitive to blows on its nose while the childs figure would be much less sensitive.

We claim:

1. Toy apparatus for playing a competitive boxing game, said apparatus comprising a pair of individual and separate boxing-figure toys. each of said boxingfigure toys comprising:

a. a positionable base,

b. means defining a fanciful boxing figure,

c. means between said figure and said base for pivotally supporting said figure on said base for pivotal rearward movement between a normal upright position and a knocked-down position,

d. means between said figure and said base for releasibly maintaining said figure in said upright position, said maintainin means including a movable target member on said figure operative to release said maintaining means when said target member is struck and moved,

e. a pair of fist members on said figure extendable forwardly therefrom to engage the target member on the other figure, and

f. manually o erable control means comprising a pair of control liandles mounted on the base for being gripped and used to effect movement of the figure toy, each of said control handles being separately and selectively operable to effect the forward extension of one of said fist members, each of said handles comprising a compressible bulb portion, each of said bulb portions being connected to a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement mounted within the figure and with the piston of said arrangement directly connected to one of said forwardly extendable fist members.

2. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said maintaining means comprises an elongated, rigid member extending between said figure and said base for holding said fi ure in its normal position.

3. e figure toy of claim 2 wherein said rigid member is rotatably mounted.

4. The toy figure of claim 3 wherein said target member is mounted on said rigid member.

' 5. The toy figure of claim 2 wherein said rigid member is biased to a maintaining position.

6. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein cable means are connected between the bases of said figure toys to limit the distance apart to which said figure toys may be moved from one another.

7. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bases include forward extensions adapted to engage one another to limit how close said figure means may be moved to one another.

8. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bases have convex undersurfaces to afford ready tilting of said fi ure toys.

9. T e toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein each compressible handle and associated cylinder define a closed system so that said piston will automatically return to its initial position when compression on said handle is released.

10. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hantc lles are positioned to the rear and to either side of said 50 l ure. ll. The figure toy of claim I wherein said base and said figure are hollow, said central means being disposed on said base, a conduit means connecting said bulb portion to said piston-cylinder arrangement, said conduit means being disposed within said base and within said figure, and extending between them, said figure and said base both having openings through which said conduit means extends, at least one of said openings being substantially larger in the direction of movement of said figure than the cross-section of said tconduit means, to accommodate said movement of said I ure.

l2. The toy apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least portions of said conduit means are flexible.

13. The toy figure of claim 1 wherein said figure is urged to the knock-down position by the wei ht distribution of said figure relative to its pivota support means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENTNO.: 3,845,956 DATED November 5, 1974 Page 1 of 2 |NvENTOR( I Adolph E. Goldfarb, et al.

It is certified that error appears in the ab0ve-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In claim 11, column 8, line 52, change "central" to control Change the drawing figure shown on the abstract page to the figure of drawing as shown on the attached sheet but will apply to the grant only.

Signed and Scaled this sixth Day of Aprill976 [SEAL] A ttes t:

RUTH C. MASON vmmissimzer ofPatents and Trademarks Patent No. 5,8h5,956 Page 2 of 2 

1. Toy apparatus for playing a competitive boxing game, said apparatus comprising a pair of individual and separate boxingfigure toys, each of said boxing-figure toys comprising: a. a positionable base, b. means defining a fanciful boxing figure, c. means between said figure and said base for pivotally supporting said figure on said base for pivotal rearward movement between a normal upright position and a knocked-down position, d. means between said figure and said base for releasibly maintaining said figure in said upright position, said maintaining means including a movable target member on said figure operative to release said maintaining means when said target member is struck and moved, e. a pair of fist members on said figure extendable forwardly therefrom to engage the target member on the other figure, and f. manually operable control means comprising a pair of control handles mounted on the base for being gripped and used to effect movement of the figure toy, each of said control handles being separately and selectively operable to effect the forward extension of one of said fist members, each of said handles comprising a compressible bulb portion, each of said bulb portions being connected to a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement mounted within the figure and with the piston of said arrangement directly connected to one of said forwardly extendable fist members.
 2. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said maintaining means comprises an elongated, rigid member extending between said figure and said base for holding said figure in its normal position.
 3. The figure toy of claim 2 wherein said rigid member is rotatably mounted.
 4. The toy figure of claim 3 wherein said target member is mounted on said rigid member.
 5. The toy figure of claim 2 wherein said rigid member is biased to a maintaining position.
 6. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein cable means are connected between the bases of said figure toys to limit the distance apart to which said figure toys may be moved from one another.
 7. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bases include forward extensions adapted to engage one another to limit how close said figure means may be moved to one another.
 8. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bases have convex undersurfaces to afford ready tilting of said figure toys.
 9. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein each compressible handle and associated cylinder define a closed system so that said piston will automatically return to its initial position when compression on said handle is released.
 10. The toy apparatus of claim 1 wherein said handles are Positioned to the rear and to either side of said figure.
 11. The figure toy of claim 1 wherein said base and said figure are hollow, said central means being disposed on said base, a conduit means connecting said bulb portion to said piston-cylinder arrangement, said conduit means being disposed within said base and within said figure, and extending between them, said figure and said base both having openings through which said conduit means extends, at least one of said openings being substantially larger in the direction of movement of said figure than the cross-section of said conduit means, to accommodate said movement of said figure.
 12. The toy apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least portions of said conduit means are flexible.
 13. The toy figure of claim 1 wherein said figure is urged to the knock-down position by the weight distribution of said figure relative to its pivotal support means. 